Amandari Bali Luxury Hotel

Detailed Review

Amandari (which means “peaceful spirits”) opened in 1989. It is located five minutes from the art community of Ubud, in Central Bali. The village of Kedewatan lies adjacent to the resort. Designed as a Balinese village, Amandari has river-stone walkways and high paras-stone walls. The open-air lobby was designed after a wantilan, a village meeting place. The pathway that runs through Amandari and down the valley to the river below is sacred land. Every six months for hundreds of years, Balinese have taken the path down to a pool of holy water. Just above this spring-fed pool sit three modest shrines and an ancient tiger carved into rock. Balinese-style stone gateways front Amandari’s 30 walled, thatched-roof suites, each with a private garden courtyard. There is one premium villa as well. Wireless broadband connections are now available in all resort accommodations and public areas. Village suites feature either a large combined bedroom and living room or a ground floor living room with a separate queen-sized bedroom on a mezzanine level. Each suite offers twin vanities and dressing areas with separate shower and toilet rooms all with Javanese marble flooring, a bar, music system and an outdoor sunken marble bath. Valley Suites are identical to Village Suites but offer views of the Ayung Valley or surrounding paddy fields. Pool Suites are Valley Suites that feature their own private pool with views overlooking the Ayung Valley or paddy fields. Asmara and Ayung Suite are Valley Suites with large private swimming pools and sweeping views of the nearby rice terraces and valley. Amandari Suite offers one or two detached bedrooms along with a separate living room pavilion. There is also a private swimming pool and an outdoor bale of teak and bamboo with outstanding views of the Ayung Gorge.

Amandari Villa is nestled in rice terraces by the resort; the villa includes five pavilions – three detached, terrace-style bedrooms, a separate living room walled entirely with windows, and a fully fitted kitchen. A garden and landscaped deck embrace the two-tiered swimming pool. The villa is less than a minute’s drive from Amandari and a vehicle is on call. A broad selection of books, newspapers, CDs and games is available in the library. The Library also offers Internet and e-mail access. A wide variety of Indonesian handicrafts, including baskets, silk, pottery and silverware, are available in the gift shop and gallery. Amandari’s Spa is surrounded by water and features two open-air massage bales, a beauty room, sauna and steam room. The fitness centre is fitted with a fully equipped cardiovascular gym and looks out onto the surrounding lotus pond. Amandari’s signature 32m green-tiled swimming pool, lying close to the lip of the gorge, flows with a feeling of old Bali. The hard tennis court is floodlit for night play. Balls, rackets and tennis shoes are complimentary. Playing partners can also be arranged.

Press Quotes

"If money were no object, I would opt for the ultra-exclusive Amandari. Reputed to be the best of the three Aman hotels on Bali, it occupies a stunning, peaceful setting overlooking the gorge of the Ayung river. The hotel makes much play of its service (the staff-to-guest ratio is 6:1) and its integration with the community - locals wander through the grounds to get to their fields, and practise dances in the courtyard. All of it, including the 30 vast suites, is faultlessly tasteful." The Independent 06

Independent Reviews

Amandari
By Caroline Major

Looking out from spacious villas which won awards and set the standard of ‘Balinese’ style architecture for the western world when they opened fifteen years ago - this is to taste one side of the lifestyle of the Balinese farmer. Aman, ever diligent in their pursuit of cultural tourism, built this mountain resort in the midst of a rice field at the bottom of a village between it and the River Agung. Consequently it’s not uncommon to see men with scythes cutting sweet potato leaves or women bending their backs to harvest rice or load bundles onto the neatly coiled scarves piled onto their heads. The soft grating sound of a scythe being sharpened; and the happy chatter of the Balinese working together in team spirit; or the shouting of a man as he whips his cow into movement through the fields; all this provides ambiance. At night the fields come alive with the throaty call of frogs, the crickets song and the croak of geckos. Fireflies light the night and there is a constant sound of moving water. There are two styles of villa at Amandari, arranged to a traditional Balinese village plan. Single story is the standard, while the pool villas are unique with a second story bedroom high above the downstairs indoor outdoor living room and green views through glass windows on three sides. From the bottom of the garden looking beyond the pool and back to the villa the double sliding glass wall has a Japanese aesthetic. Double day beds are flanked with soft and comfortable rattan chairs. Waist high walls drop straight down to the fields where you could reach out and touch the load of a passing villager hauling produce back to the compound. Around the hotel concessions have been made to allow the Balinese right of way to pass over their traditional lands, and in parts roofs are left open to allow them passage without barrier between themselves and the gods on festival days. The common areas have been designed around local customs and are often filled with laughing and chattering children being instructed in dance and music; teachers provided courtesy of Aman to ensure the arts are kept alive. The place bustles even in low season when TI stayed. In this mountainous region of Bali one is spoilt for choice in ways to fill a day. Stunning scenery is enjoyable on treks, bike rides, rafting or in the car, depending on how up close and personal you want to get with the villagers. The Balinese are incredibly warm and welcoming as well as understanding the value of tourism, and will greet you warmly as you journey through. Amandari also runs cultural programs offering the opportunity to spend a morning in a Balinese compound preparing a traditional feast with the family after having shopped at the morning market for the ingredients, and before sitting down to lunch on their lavish ceremonial food: roast sucking pig, spiced duck and fiery salads. Holding Balinese Culture together is their unique brand of Hinduism with its plethora of festivals, so the probabilty is high that on almost any visit to Bali your timing will be spot on for some major temple ceremony - to which you’ll certainly be invited as a guest of the Aman village. An active person spending a week here might get through half of the activites on offer if they were to spend busy days, but then you’d miss out on the villa relaxation that is a hallmark of Aman travel. If those options fail to excite, there is always the shopping. Ubud is the centre of arts and crafts in Bali and offers an overwhelming selection of shops, markets, workshops and galleries. It’s definitely best to keep yourself busy while at Amandari, as the service levels fall short of those at other properties which may be better suited for a lethargic Balinese trip. This property lacks the finesse of the others, missing details like candles, sunscreens and surprises. Limited and unexciting menus in both private dining and the restaurant will keep the shuttle bus busy while you explore the excellent offerings available in Ubud, but watch out for overfriendly staff who lend less than prompt attention to house-keeping.

© Travel Intelligence. All rights reserved

• "An Aman boutique hotel of Balinese elegance and a touch of Western minimalism, overlooking the Ayung river gorge."

  Classic Aman formula mixing local - in this case Asian - elegance with Western minimalism, using an abundance of complementary natural materials: teak, marble floors, wicker furnishings. The impressive infinity pool makes up for lack of natural drama.